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Has anyone heard of this site? I tried submitting some songs to iTunes and then received a reply from Tunecore. I'm still waiting to hear from them about how they got my email and what their connection with iTunes is. http://www.tunecore.com/

Do a search on the JPF site. There's been a few threads about Tunecore. You're better off going with CD Baby.

Jody

If you have a marketable CD, you are probably better off with CD Baby. If you don't have a marketable CD and only want to submit individual songs for paid digital distribution, CD Baby can't help you. CD Baby must have a CD to sell. You may want to consider Tunecore in this case.

CD Baby does describe some workaround where you burn a CDR with the songs you want to submit for paid digital download and then price the CDR at some ridiculously high price so nobody buys it so you don't have to worry about replenishing CDs or people complaining about your CD quality, packaging, etc. I guess this works, but it seems hokey to me. I would want any product I sell to be the best I'm capable of doing at that point in time. After all, it's my reputation.

A potential problem with going to Tunecore is if you market an individual song through Tunecore and then some time later include the song on a CD sold through CD Baby. You can only have one digital download aggregator, which are what CD Baby and Tunecore are for paid digital downloads, for a given song. I don't know if it is all that easy, or even possible, to change aggregators for a song. I'd use Tunecore only for songs I never have any intention of putting on a marketable CD.

Thanks, Guys. I did get a response from Tunecore today:

"Steve, when iTunes isn't sure how to help someone, they often pass them over to us, since we're specialists in delivering content to them. My Apple contact did just that, asking if we could help you. iTunes and TuneCore are partners: unconnected in a corporate way, but we work very closely and are a very major content provider to them.

Sorry for any confusion!

--Peter"

I posted some of my songs on iTunes and other download sites through tunecore. I had to send them a CD with the songs so they could convert them(!) To the proper format for downloading, they also gave them a UPC number. There was a small charge involved for placing them on the sites, $9.95 comes to mind. /Glen

i have never used CD Baby or Tunecore, but i think i would rather have my tunes on Tunecore and iTunes rather than spend lots of money on cds to send to CDBaby. Having your tunes on iTunes is a very profesisonal way to have some street cred. Most people would assume that only major artists can get on iTunes, so that might seem impressive to many people as a selling point. Not to mention more people are on iTunes that might bump into your song than CDBaby. But these are just theoretical guesses on my part because I am not to a point where I am marketing anything yet. My album probly won't be completed till much later this year anyway.

But I think Tunecore is a great option. Just hand out business cards and advertisements where you play and make sure you put iTunes on it to advertise your album should someone want to download it. Let them burn their own cd and save yourself the money. Make some CD's at home and give them out or sell them at your live shows if you want as advertising.

I don't see what would stop anyone from using both Tunecore and CDBaby, unless they have legal speak that says they want to prohibit you from doing so. Which is, i am guessing, to be the case.

As far as I know you can send CD Baby 5 CDR's and you're set. In fact, I think you may not be able to just send 1 CDR. But even if it was 5.. that's about a dollar plus shipping. Big deal.

Brian

so you can send CDBaby 5 CDR's and they make more hard copies if people buy those original 5 out? if so, that is not so bad then really, but the drawback would be not having your tracks on iTunes. decisions, decisions...

Jeff,

CD Baby offers digital distribution in addition to selling CDs. It costs nothing extra to sign up for iTunes through CD Baby. As was discussed on another thread here at JPF about Tuncore and the costs - search for the thread. You might be surprised.

No, CD Baby does not make additional CD's if you sell out of your CD, you are responsible for sending them more.

Jody

Jody...That is good to know! I will have to check out the previous threads. Thanks for the heads up.

Well, I tried searching for Tunecore and only came up with items from this thread. If anyone remembers any details from the previous threads, I'd be glad to see what else there is to know. Thanks to all who have contributed.

If you sell the 5 CDR's, you should be jumping for joy. You just made a huge profit and I'd think you'd WANT to sell more of them.

Brian

Steve,

Here's a link to the other Tunecore thread: http://www.jpfolks.com/forum/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=483813

Kevin

Thanks, Kevin. Very helpful.